Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Announce New Judging Panel for Business Book of the Year Award 2010

25 MAY 2010

London, May 25, 2010 - The Financial Times and Goldman Sachs have announced the new panel of judges for the 2010 Business Book of the Year. The 2010 Award was launched in London at a breakfast debate hosted by Lionel Barber, Editor, Financial Times, and attended by key industry figures from business and publishing, including one of two new judges for this year’s Award, Shriti Vadera. The other new judge is Jorma Ollila, Chairman, Nokia and Chairman, Royal Dutch Shell plc.

The launch debate discussed “The medium and the message: the future of books in an electronic world”. Publishers, booksellers and journalists assessed the challenges and opportunities presented by the transition to digital devices and e-books. Rights management, pricing and piracy dominated the discussion.

Lionel Barber said: “Business and economics writing has never been as relevant as we look to understand the lessons and implications from the financial crisis. There is every indication that this year’s Award entries will be the best ever and I look forward to reading this year's submissions."

Lloyd Blankfein, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Goldman Sachs said: “This prize recognizes those talented business authors who give us the thought-provoking insights that only time and a certain distance can provide.”

The Business Book of the Year Award is designed to highlight the book that provides the most compelling and enjoyable insight into modern business issues, including management, finance and economics. Entries are invited from publishers of business books in the English language that are first published between 31st October 2009 and 15th November 2010. The deadline for entries is 30th June 2010 and the entry form is available online at www.ft.com/bookaward.

The judging panel will then select a shortlist of up to six authors, which will be announced in September. The overall winner will be announced at The Pierre Hotel in New York on 27th October 2010.

The winner of the Business Book of the Year Award 2010 will be awarded £30,000. Each of the remaining shortlisted authors will this year receive £10,000 each, an increase of £5,000 over previous years.

The 2009 Award was won by Liaquat Ahamed for ‘The Lords of Finance’. The Award was presented at a dinner in London, which was attended by more than 200 senior executives from the publishing and business communities. Mohamed El-Erian’s ‘When Markets Collide’ was the 2008 winner; William D. Cohan won the 2007 Award for ‘The Last Tycoons’; ‘China Shakes the World’ by James Kynge won the 2006 Award, and the winner of the inaugural Award in 2005 was Thomas Friedman for his book ‘The World Is Flat’.

Entry forms and details of the Terms and Conditions are available from www.ft.com/bookaward. This annual Award aims to identify the book that provides the most compelling and enjoyable insight into modern business issues, including management, finance and economics. A shortlist of up to six titles will be announced in September, and the winner will be announced at a gala event in London on October 27th 2010. Submissions are invited from publishers or bona fide imprints based in any country.

Eligibility:

Books must be published for the first time in the English language, or in English translation, between 31st October 2009 and 15th November 2010. There is no limit to the number of submissions from each publisher/imprint, provided they fit the criteria, and books from all genres except anthologies are eligible. There are no restrictions of gender, age or nationality of authors. Authors who are current employees of the Financial Times or Goldman Sachs, or the close relatives of such employees, are not eligible.

About the Financial Times:

The Financial Times, one of the world’s leading business news organisations, is recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. Providing essential news, comment, data and analysis for the global business community, the newspaper, printed at 23 print sites across the globe, has a daily circulation of 386,590 (ABC figures April 2010), while FT.com has over 2 million registered users and 126,281 digital subscribers. The FT has a combined print and online average daily readership of 1.9 million people worldwide (PwC audited figures, November 2009).

About Goldman Sachs:

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm that provides a wide range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and high-net-worth individuals. Founded in 1869, the firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices in London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong and other major financial centers around the world. www.ft.com/bookaward